Rosedale Ramble 1997
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Rosedale Rambles 1993 through 1999 Copyright © 2011 Karen Sikes Collins 1 1 1997 ROSEDALE RAMBLE Collected, researched and written by Karen Sikes Collins with special help from Bruce Jensen (architectural identification), Jim Fowler (tree identification), Ambra Mayton Reedy, Florine Davis Branch, Emma Hancock Wicks, Merle George Gleckler, Morris Basey,. Rudolph Preece, Lawrence Durbin, Velin Hubbard Kallus Hughes, Annette Smith Lucksinger, Forrest Troutman, Gaylord Magnuson, Forrest Preece, Annabel Murray Thomas, Carol Croslin Hemingson, John Murray, Drew Maguire Griffen, Sheila Jack Maguire Crabill, Marion Lloyd, Essie Ashley Payne, Marie Payne Moreland, Raye Dotson Anderson, Verna Pickle Warwick, George Mayton, Robert Clarkson, Margie Wagner Clarkson, Teresa Derr, Claire McAdams, R. Vincent Murray, and Claire Scott Murray. Historical Background of the Rosedale Neighborhood The Rosedale neighborhood is the area lying between 34th Street and Hancock Drive, and between Lamar/Burnet Road and Shoal Creek. The creek and the old Upper Georgetown Road (now Burnet Road) were major influences on the area. But more important were the 1840s boundaries of early landowners. Most of Rosedale was in the 1838 headright league grant to George W. Spier (Spear). The Republic of Texas granted this land to Spier and, as was the custom, it had a narrow frontage on the Colorado River and ran deep, all the way north to Anderson Lane. Spier sold his land to Gideon White and others. Most of Rosedale was in Gideon White’s 1,237 acres while W.H. Phillips and John Hancock owned much of the area along Shoal Creek north of 40th Street. By the 1870s, brothers John and George Hancock had purchased the land inherited by the White heirs except one area; the Seiders family continued to operate their farmland south of 40th Street. During the Hancock period, a dairy occupied most of the Rosedale area. Following John Hancock’s death and the sale of his land, several smaller dairies and the Ramsey Nursery purchased land in Rosedale. When subdivision and sale of land for urban development began, it started with the Seiders. The family members themselves began subdividing their land but they also sold a large tract to a New York developer who platted a grand subdivision. Rosedale’s first three subdivisions were platted in 1890; this was before Monroe Shipe got the Hyde Park Development underway in 1891. In Rosedale, there was a flurry of subdividing activity in the 1890s and then a resting period until about 1910. The greatest period of activity, however, was in the 1930s during the Depression. Rosedale was one of the few areas where work could be found and it attracted carpenters, rock masons, and other skilled artisans from outside Austin as well as inside. Some houses were built by Austin lumber companies which also acted as a clearinghouse for carpenters and builders and some were built by homeowners themselves. A few were model homes contracted by the developers and some were spec houses contracted by speculators. The diverse styles of our houses reflect the wonderful variety of builders. The small size of our original houses reflects Depression carefulness. Before 1930, there were no restrictions on ownership or residency because of race, and there were a dozen or more black homeowners and residents in the area. But in most of the subdivisions of the 1930s and 1940s, persons of African descent (and in several subdivisions, all but Caucasians) were barred from owning property or residing in the neighborhood. This restriction, of course, was removed by the courts some three decades later. 65 65 SUBDIVISIONS OF ROSEDALE Sub A Glen Ridge Addition, 1890 – This subdivision encompassed land purchased by E.J. Heppenheimer in 1890 from Edward Seiders and platted into 17 blocks with approximately 260 lots between 34th and 38th streets, from just west of Wabash to Jefferson on the west side of the creek. Heppenheimer put in a dam on Shoal Creek between 34 and 38th and marked off two boulevards to run on either side of Shoal Creek – Alamo on the east and Lakeside on the west. When the dam washed out in 1900, so did Heppenheimer’s plans. He sold out and returned to New York. The streets in this subdivision on the east side of Shoal Creek were named Penn (Lamar), Wabash (roughly Medical Parkway), McDonald, Pratt, Spring (38th), Champa, Holley, and State (34th). This subdivision and Penn Park Subdivision were swallowed up by Seton Hospital and related medical buildings. The only remaining legacy of this early subdivision is the park land along the creek dedicated in 1890; Seiders’ Oaks and the Hike and Bike Trail. Sub B Penn Park, 1890 – In 1890, George Penn, owner of this land, filed a plat for Penn Park which covered the area from 38th south to halfway between Holly and 35th and from Lamar west to halfway between Wabash and McDonald. The streets in this subdivision were named Ann Avenue (Lamar), Wabash, Spring (38th), Champa, and Holly. Seton Hospital and related medical buildings cover this subdivision. George Penn, owner of this land, has not been identified. There are two George Penns in the city directory: a contractor for the Austin and North Western Railroad and a black teamster. Sub C H.B. Seiders, 1890 – Henry B. Seiders was the second of three sons born to Edward Seiders and his first wife, Louisa White. Louisa was the daughter of Gideon White and inherited part of his land which included this area. H.B. left Austin in the early 1880s and settled in Taylor. In 1890, he platted land he owned in Austin and began selling lots. He named the streets in his subdivision after his wife and daughters: Alice (wife), Emma, and Julia (now Medical Parkway, 39th ½ and 39th respectively). His subdivision ran from Lamar almost to Bailey Lane, from 40th to 38th Street. Sub D Ed Seiders Subdivision, 1892 – This subdivision was not even filed with the subdivision plats but exists in a deed. It is a small area along 38th (Spring) Street from Lamar to one lot west of Medical Parkway but only 60’ north of 38th. Sub E Lewis Hancock (Triangle) Subdivision, 1899 – Lewis Hancock, son and only child of George and Louisa Hancock, inherited this 20-acre tract from his parents. This tract ran from Burnet Road east to Medical Parkway, from 45th nearly to 40th Street. It is a long narrow triangle, the point being where Medical Parkway and Burnet Road split at 45. Lewis Hancock was Mayor of Austin and organized the Austin Country Club. Sub F Pleasant Grove Addition, 1910 – M.C. Nixon purchased this tract from John and Anna Preston who had bought it from H.B. Seiders. This subdivision had 15 ¾ acres and ran from 39th ½ almost to 39th Street, from Bailey Lane to Shoal Creek and a little beyond. He named the north-south streets Nixon Avenue (now Bailey), Clay Avenue (now Tonkawa Trail), Peterson Avenue, Seiders Avenue, and George Avenue (now Shoal Creek Blvd.), the last three after early Rosedale Families. M.C. Nixon and his partner, J.S. Clay, owned and operated Nixon-Clay Business College in Austin. The beautiful live oaks and post oaks inspired the subdivision name. 66 66 Sub G Lee’s Hill, 1913 – F.T. Ramsey, owner of Austin Nursery, had purchased this area for growing his nursery stock. Fruit trees were so demanding of the soil that only one crop could be grown on a tract of land and then it was either sold or put to a different use. Both Lee’s Hill and Alta Vista had been planted with fruit trees. In 1913, Ramsy platted this area into five blocks with 119 lots. It ran from Medical Parkway east to Lamar, from 40th to 42nd. Lamar at that time was called Morningside and Medical Parkway was called Georgetown Road or Alice Avenue. His north-south streets were named Marathon Boulevard and Bellvue Avenue. Marathon Boulevard was split between 40th and 41st streets with a park in the oval-shaped center (Lee’s Park and later called Skyland Park). Ramsey named his subdivision in memory of Robert E. Lee who is said to have camped under a giant oak tree at 40th and Medical Parkway. He advertised the lots for sale in one of his catalogs. Sub H Alta Vista Addition, 1918 – Walter S. Benson and Houghton Brownlee purchased this 37-acre tract from F.T. Ramsey in 1917 and divided it into 11 blocks with almost 200 lots. It ran from 42nd Street to 45th Street between Lamar and Medical Parkway. They continued the street names selected by Ramsey in Lee’s Hill Subdivision (Marathon and Bellvue) but added Maybelle Avenue. Lamar was called Morningside and Medical Parkway was called Alice Avenue or Georgetown Road. For many years, these lots had remnants of Ramsey’s nursery stock (peach, plum, and almond trees). Brownlee was a lawyer and Benson owned Benson Motor Company, the Studebaker dealership. Realtors Paul and Earl Simms got together a package of remaining lots and in 1931 sold them to W.A. Driscoll and E.F. Moritz for $6,500 (this included 40 vacant lots and 1 lot with house). Driscoll and Moritz had been partners in a monument company since 1912. The two partners sold all the remaining lots except 16. Ten lots were divided among their children and a remaining six were divided between the partners after 1954 when they sold their monument business and dissolved their partnership. Alta Vista in Spanish means “high view.” Sub I Rosedale Subdivision, 1931-1938 – The first six sections of the Rosedale Subdivision were platted and sold by the three daughters of F.T.